Times Colonist

B.C. panel on bear deaths to review training of conservati­on officers

The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.

Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussion­s with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”

Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.

“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understand­ing, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.

B.C. government data show conservati­on officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.

Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommenda­tions by next spring, while an independen­t oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservati­on officers to provide advice to the government.

Environmen­t Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservati­on officers “have the trust of the communitie­s they serve,” and the panel will make recommenda­tions to enhance officer training and improve policies.

Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.

“This move demonstrat­es the government is listening,” said Fox.

“I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentiall­y a little sharper than they normally are.”

Fox said the partnershi­p came from “a place of long frustratio­n” as provincial conservati­on officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”

“I think that the conservati­on officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.

Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnershi­p, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.

“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.